Bevel-gear driving and compensating mechanism.



No. 792,690. PATENTED JUNE 20, 1905. A. P. BRUSH.

BEVEL GEAR'DRIVING AND GOMPENSATING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 27, 1903.

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No. 792,690. PATENTED JUNE 20, 1905.

A. P. BRUSH.

BEVEL GEAR DRIVING AND GOMPENSATING MECHANISM.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 27, 1903.

WITNESSES IWVENTOR NITED STATES Patented June 20, 1905.

ALANSON P. BRUSH, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE BAKER MOTORVEHICLE OO., OF CLEVELAND,

OHIO.

OHIO, A CORPORATION OF BEVEL-GEAR DRIVING AND COMPENSATING IVlECHANlSiVl.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 792,690, dated June 20,1905.

Application filed May 27, 1903- Serial No. 158,981.

To all wit/0717 it may; concern:

Be it known that I, ALANsoN P. BRUSH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Detroit, county of l/Vayne, State of Michigan,

have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Bevel-Gear Drivingand Compensating Mechanism, of which the following is a specification,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, Which-form apart to ofthis specification.

My invention has for its object a novel method of mounting the gears ofa bevel-gear differential driving and compensating mechanism, the samebeing more particularly designed and adapted as a differential drivingmechanism for automobiles, although Ido not limit myself solely thereto.

My invention consists of the construction, combination, and arrangementof devices hereinafter described and claimed, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a view in horizontalsection, illustrating my invention. Fig. 2 is a similar view showingparts of my invention and a modified form of the bearings and of theinclosing case. Fig. 3 is a detail view, in horizontal section, showinganother modification in the construction of the bearings. Fig. I is aview in vertical section on the line 4: 4, Fig. 1.

More specifically, my invention pertains to a bevel-gear driving andcompensating mechanism, the object of my invention being to provide adifferential driving-gear of superior efficiency and utility.

I carry out my invention as follows:

In the drawings, (4 represents a drivingshaft driven from any suitablesource of power -as, for example, from an electric m0- tor or from agasolene-engine or other driv- 4 ing power commonly used uponautomobiles. Upon the driving-shaft is a driving bevel-gear b,meshingwith a driven gear 0, which is shown carried by a rotatable housing d,preferably rotatable upon antifriction-bearings c and f.

The stationary portions 9 and It of said bearings are carried upon hubsz'and 7' of the axlehousings 7:: and Z of the axle-sections y y, as

shown in Fig. 1. These hubs v1 and 7' project within a gear case orhousing m. The hubs 4 and 7' that carry the stationary parts of the 5bearings instead of forming parts of the axlehousings 7n and Z mightextend inwardly from the two sides of the gear case or housing 172, asillustrated, for example, in Figs. 2 and 3, the same being an integralpart of said gearcase m. A housing for the driving-shaft is indicated at'21 the gear 6 having an antifriction-bearing thereupon, as indicated atp.

\Vhile I have shown ball bearings at 0, f, and p, Fig. 1, I would haveit understood that I do not limit myself thereto, nor, indeed, even toantifriction-bearings, as any suitable bearings come Within the scope ofmy invention. In Fig. 2 I have shown an ordinary sliding bearing at q.In Fig. 3 I have shown at an anti- 5 friction-bearing of the rollertype, the antifriction-bearings shown in Fig. 1 being of the ballbearingtype. The housing (Z is constructed, preferably, with plural elongatedorifices r to receive the outer ends of the compensating- 7o pinionspindles 8, said spindles each provided with a compensating ordifferential drivingpinion, (indicated at 25,) said pinion t meshingwith companion compensating or differential driving-gears a and 0;between the aXle-sections provided with hubs w and 00, mounted upon acorresponding member of a divided driven shaft or axle-sections y y andindependently adjustable thereupon in any suitable manner. Between saidgears 14 and o is O a ring .2, carrying the plural shafts of thecompensating pinions t, said shafts being rigidly engaged with saidring. The hubs w and a; of the difierential driving-gears 11/ and 0) maybe snugly engaged or embraced around their 8 5 outer peripheries bybearings (Z, formed on the housing (Z, as shown in Fig. 1, so that theaxle-sections 1 y may be removed or disengaged from the gears 10 and oWithoutdiS- placing said gears. It will be evident that theaxle-sections extend into the housing, the same being engaged by thedifferential gear. The slots 9" are preferably elongated longitudinallyof the driven shaft 1 yfor the purpose has an antifriction-bearing inthe housing n,-

of permitting the housing (Z to be adjusted to maintain a proper mesh ofthe driven gear 0 with the driving-pinion Z) or to allow any necessaryadjustment of the shaft 3 3 and to permit of any corresponding movementof the shafts s longitudinally of the driven shaft f] 1 So, also, theseelongated orifices 0 permit the adjustment of the mesh of thecompensating pinions t and the compensating gears u o. It will be seenthat upon the rotation of the driven gear 0 in the manner abovedescribed the housing (Z is also rotated therewith, and in consequenceof which the shafts 8, together with their compensating pinions t andthe ring .2, are carried with the rotation .of the housing, thecompensating pinions t meshing with the compensating gears u 41, causingthe rotation of the compensating gears, while at the same time, byreason of the compensating pinions 6 being rotatable upon thecorresponding shaft 8, different rates of rotation may take place of thecompensating gears up upon the shaft 1 1 The compensating pinions 25 areloosely journaled upon the corresponding shafts s. This constructionpermits one of the compensating gears u and o being caused to travelfaster than the other under certain conditions, as is necessary, forexample, when the vehicle is turning a corner. The gear-case m ispreferably made tight, so as to form an oil-case. To permit theadjustment of the bearings e and f or of the bearings q, as the case maybe, a collar (indicated by the numeral 1) may be employed having athreaded engagement upon an enlarged portion 2 of the hubsz' and 7'. Thecollar may be adjusted to adjust the antifriction-bearing by means ofpinions 3 and 4 being carried upon shafts 5 and 6 to the exterior of thegear-case m, so that any suitable instrument can be engaged therewith toeffect the adjustment of the collars 1. The inner ends of the drivenshaft 1/ 7 may be journaled in the housing cl, as indicated in Fig. 1,although I do not limit myself thereto, although such a construction ispreferable. In Figs. 2 and 3 the said driven shaft is shown journaled inthe gear-case m. The driving-gear 6 preferably as shown in Fig. 1,although I do not limit myself thereto, as either of the bearings shownin Figs. 2 and 3 might be employed in lieu thereof, or any othersuitable bearing. The housing (Z may be divided in any suitable mannerto secure the same in place and to permit the introduction of thecompensating mechanism therewithin. In Fig. 1 it will be evident thatthe gear-case m is divided horizontally, while in Fig. 2 the same isindicated In each case the same may be provided with correspondingangular feature of my invention. The parts of the housing (Z may be heldtogether in any suitable manner, as by bolts 10.

The operation of the invention will now be understood and, torecapitulate, is as follows: Power applied to the driving-shaft a iscommunicated by the driving pinion to the driven gear 0 and to thehousing (Z, the rotation of the housing (Z carrying therewith the shaftss, with their respective compensating pinions t meshing with thecorresponding compensating gears 20 and 0) upon the inner ends of thedivided shaft 3/ y, the compensating pinions 6 being loosely journaledupon their corresponding shafts .9, providing for and permitting eitherof the compensating gears '16 and o to be driven faster than the other,as in turning the vehicle, when such differences in the velocity of thegears become necessary.

My invention also provides for a mounting of this compensating mechanismupon bearings. It will be obvious that instead of having the shafts s,engaged with the ring a, project into the corresponding slots r anyother extensions of said ring might be employed to project into saidslots.

My invention is thus designed to provide a mounting for the driving andthe driven gear which shall in the simplest and most direct mannerassure the proper relation between the axis of the driving and drivengears and to permit of the mesh of the driving and driven gears beingadjusted in absolute independence of the rest of the mechanism, which isaccomplished by mounting the driven gear upon a housing having bearingsthe stationary parts of which are substantially parts, of the case orframework, which also carries the hearing or bearings for thedriving-gear.

My invention also permits independence of adjustment and alinement ofthe compensating mechanism by means of the elongated slots in thehousing cl engaging the ends of the compensating-pinion shafts s ortheir projections on the ring 2, upon which the compensating pinions aremounted. By reason of the elongation of said slots, the longitudinalposition of the driven gear and its housing, and the parts of thedivided driven shafts 1 y their longitudinal relation is not necessarilyexact, giving freedom of adjustment of the compensating gears or of anybearings which the driven shaft might have.

My invention also provides a means whereby when it is desired to makethe gear-casem an oil-case the bearings may be adjusted that carry thedriven gear 0 to compensate for the wear of the bearings or to alter themesh of the driven and driving gears b and 0 without opening the case m.This is accomplished, as already noted, by means of the pinions 3 and 4having a toothed engagement with the adjacent adjusting-rings 1 and 2 ofthe adjacent TIO bearings, the shafts of the said pinions extending tothe exterior of the case and provided at their outer ends with means ofrotating them to obtain the desired adjustment, means being provided forlocking said shafts to maintain the adjustment, as by locking-nuts 11and 12.

The hubs w m of the differential gears u 0), it will be understood, arerigid upon the adjacent ends of the axlesections, so that practicallysaid hubs and the axle-sections have the same bearings. It will also beunderstood that the compensating or differential gears 10 41, with theintermediate pinions meshing therewith, constitute a differential gearbetween the axle-sections. I

The hearings e f, of different constructions, as the conical bearingsshown in Fig. 3, are axially opposite one another between thedifferential gear and the housing m, said bearings sustaining thedifferential gear in the housing m.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. In combination a driving-shaftprovided with a driving-gear, driven shafts, differential mechanism fordriving the driven shafts actuated by the driving-gear, and a housingfor the differential mechanism, said housing being movablelongitudinally of the driven shafts and independently of said shafts andof the driving-gear.

2. The combination with the driving-gear and the driven gears of acompensating mechanism, of a housing for the driven gears movablerelatively rectilinearly of the bearings for the driven gears andindependently thereof, said housing having bearings separated from andindependent of the driven gears.

3. In combination a driving-gear, a revoluble housing, a gear whichmeshes with the d riving-gear, driven shafts,driven gears thereon.compensating gears carried by the housing, and means formed in thehousing to permit the mesh of the driving and driven gears to beadjusted without affecting the position of the compensating gears andtheir mountings.

4:. In combination, a driving-gear, a revoluble housing, a gear whichmeshes with the driving-gear, differential mechanism inclosed by thehousing and actuated by the drivinggear, driven shafts extending throughthe housing, gearing connecting the shafts and the differentialmechanism, means for moving thehousing longitudinally of the drivenshafts and independent thereof, and mountings for thehousing independentof the mountings for the driven shafts.

5. In combination, a driving-gear, a driven gear, a housing carrying thedriven gear, driven shafts having gears thereon and mountedindependently of the housing, compensating gears carried by the housingand having a &

ing may be moved independently and longitudinally of the driven shaftsto adjust the mesh of the driving and driven gears without affecting theposition of the compensating gears and their mountings.

6. In combination, a driving-gear, a driven gear, a housing carrying thedriven gear, driven shafts, differential mechanism inclosed within thehousing and actuated thereby, and,

means to adjust thehousing longitudinally and independently of thedriven shafts and the differential mechanism, whereby the mesh of thedriving and driven gears may be varied.

7. In combination a driving-gear, a driven gear, a rotatable housingcarrying the driven gear, driven shafts, oppositely-disposed gearsmounted thereon, compensating pinions meshing with theoppositely-disposed gears and carried by the housing and having a looseengagement with the housing to permit the housing to be movedlongitudinally of the driven shafts independently of the differentialmechanism, said oppositely-disposed gears and pinions located within thesaid housing.

8. The combination with the driving-sh afts, oppositely-disposed gearsthereon and compensating pinions meshing with said gears, a

housing to carry the compensating pinions.

and loosely journaled upon the hubs of the oppositely-disposed gears,bearings for the housing separated from and independent of thedriving-shafts, acasing, and means for .adjusting the bearings of thehousing, said adjusting means being actuated from exterior of thecasing.

9. In combination adriving-gear, a revoluble housing provided with adriven gear meshing with the driving-gear and having elongatedapertures, driven shafts, compensating pinions having their shaftsprojected into the apertures in the housing, and means to adjust themesh of the driving and driven gears.

10. In combination adriving-gear, a driven gear, a housing carrying thedriven gear, driven shafts, compensating gears thereon, compensatingpinions carried by the housing and in mesh with the compensating gears,

said housing having bearings independent of the bearings for thecompensating gears and driven shafts, a casing carrying one member ofeach of the bearings for the housing, an adjusting mechanism in thecasing adapted to be actuated from the exterior thereof and having atoothed engagement with one member of the bearing for the housing,whereby the mesh of the driven and driving gear, may

be adjusted without moving the driven shafts, and without disturbing theadjustment of the compensating gears.

11. In combination a driving-shaft provided with a driving-gear, drivenshafts, and differential gears to drive the driven shafts, respectively,actuated by the driving-gear, and a roloose connection therewith,whereby the housl tatable housinginclosingthe differential gears,

the position of the differential mechanism along the axis of the drivenshafts being independent of the rotatable housing.

12. In combination adriving-shaft provided with a driving-gear, drivenshafts, driven gears upon the driven shafts, respectively, a gear drivenby said driving-shaft and actuating the gears upon the driven shafts, ahousing for the driven gears and their mountings, and gears actuatedfrom outside the housing for adjusting the bearings that carry thedriven-gear mountings.

18. In combination a dri ving-shaft provided with a driving-gear, arotatable housing provided with a gear meshing with the drivinggear,driven shafts, gears upon the driven shafts respectively, compensatingspindles actuated by the rotatable housing, compensating pinions uponsaid spindles meshing with the gears upon the driven shafts, and meansto adjust the mesh of the driving and driven gears.

14. In combination adriving-shaft provided with a driving-gear, arotatable housing provided with a gear meshing with said drivinggear andconstructed with plural elongated orifices, driven shafts, compensatingspindles projecting into the orifices of said housing, a

compensating companion pinion on each of said spindles, companioncompensating gears upon the driven shafts meshing with the compensatingpinions and a ring between said compensating gears carrying thecompensating spindles.

15. In combinationadrivingshaft provided with a driving-gear, arotatable housing provided with a gear meshing with said drivinggear andconstructed with plural elongated orifices, driven shafts, compensatingspindles projecting into the orifices of said housing, a compensatingcompanion pinion on each of said spindles, companion compensating gearsupon the driven shafts meshing with the compensating pinions, a ringbetween said compensating gears carrying the compensating spindles, andmeans to adjust said housing longitudinally of the driven gears.

16. In combination a driving-shaft, abeveled gear on the driving-shaft,driven shafts, differential mechanism for driving the driven shafts,said differential mechanism provided with a driven gear meshing withsaid beveled gear, a housing carrying said driven gear, said housinginclosing said differential mechanism, and bearings carrying saidhousing, said bearings beingindependent of the driven shafts and of thedifferential mechanism.

17. In combination a driving-shaft provided with adriving-gear, drivenshafts, differential mechanism for driving the driven shafts, saiddifferential mechanism provided with plural gears actuated by saiddriving-gear, and a rotatable housing rotated by the driving-gear, saidplural gears mounted independent of the driven shafts and rotated aboutthe axis of the driven shafts by said housing, the position of theplural gears along the axis of said .driven shafts being independent ofthe position of said housing.

18. In combination a driving-shaft provided with ad riving-gear, drivenshafts, differential mechanism actuated by said driving-gear for drivingthe driven shafts, said differential mechanism provided with anadditional gear meshing with the driving-gear, a housing carrying saidadditional gear and mounted independently of the driving-shafts, arotatable housing in which the differential mechanism is mounted, themounting of the d riving-gear and of the differential mechanismpermitting an independent movement of the housing longitudinally to thedriven shafts.

19. In combination a driving-shaft provided with a driving-gear, drivenshafts, and differential mechanism provided with a rotatable housinghaving a driven gear actuated by the driving-gear for actuating thedriven shafts, the mounting of the driven gear permitting the adjustmentof its axis independent of the driven shafts and saidrotatable housinginclosing the differential mechanism,-and carrying said driving-gear.

20. In combination a driving-shaft provided with a driving-gear, drivenshafts, and, differential mechanism having a driven gear actuated by thedrivinggear for actuating the driven shafts, a rotatable housinginclosing the differential mechanism, the mounting of the driven gearpermitting its adjustment along its axis independent of the drivenshafts and independent of any other part of the differential mechanism.

21. In eombination,a driving-shaft provided with a bevel-gear, drivenshafts, differential mechanism for driving the driven shafts providedwith a driven gear meshing with said bevel-gear, a rotatable housing forthe differential mechanism actuated by the drivinggear, and a housingfor the driven shafts, having bearings for the housing of thedifferential mechanism.

22. A casing for the power-transmitting mechanism of an automobileconsisting of a casing-body formed in two separable parts, means forfastening said parts together, two alined tubes clamped between saidparts of the casing and extending laterally in opposite directionstherefrom, and a housing for the d riving-shaft separable from saidcasing-body and clamped between the parts of said body.

23. In a motor-vehicle, the combination with the two-part driving-axle,the differential gearing, the gear connected to said differentialgearing, and the gear for driving said gear, of means for adjusting theformer gear relatively to the driving-axle sections com prising ringsadjustably mounted on the axlebearings.

24. The combination of a casing having latorally-extended tubes, andaxle-sections extending through said tubes into said casing, Intestimony whereof I have signed this with differential gearing in sendeasing conspeelficatlon 1n the presence of two SIlbSCI'1b nectlng saidaxle-sections, WhlCh gearlng lnlng Witnesses.

eludes a housing Which is rotatably mounted ALANSON P. BRUSH. inantifrietion -bea1-ings upon said casing, Witnesses:

means for adjusting said -bearings longitudi- N. S. WRIGHT,

nally, and means for rotating the housing. l M. M. STRUBLE.

